Washington, DC: The Tidal Basin

Washington, DC is impossible to capture in a single post, or visit. Fortunately, I’ve been able to visit the US Capitol a few times in recent years – and always find something different to explore.

In the US Capitol last month, I walked along part of the Tidal Basin, the large body of inland water above.

DC is home, of course, to the National Monument (more on that in another post) and a number of inspirational memorials. We’ve toured them before at dusk and in evening light, and I gained an entirely different perspective seeing some of them on a sunny Spring afternoon.

People gravitate to the Tidal Basin, and little wonder.

Whether you’re painting the Jefferson Memorial, running or paddle boating, it’s a lovely spot that’s a short walk or drive from what can be an intense environment.

While the famous cherry blossoms flanking the Tidal Basin were for the most part finished, I did come across this tree with some (three!) blossoms still in place.

If you spend enough time in the area, you’ll see that flights departing from the nearby Ronald Reagan International Airport routinely fly over the Jefferson Memorial.

Barely 24 hours later, I was in one of those planes flying over the Jefferson Memorial. You’ll see its dome near the upper right of the Tidal Basin, and flanked on the lower left by the National World War II Memorial. Above that, you’ll see the prominent National Monument.

Not long after, fellow passengers and I were flying into a spectacular, extended sunset as we made our way west.